Poultry tag for trap nests



Aug. 14, 1923. IlAMfiSQD M. MERRITT POULTRY TAG FOR TRAP NESTS Filed Aug. 18. 1922 5 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY5- Patented Aug, 14, 1923.

t nting;

rarer MERTONltIER-BEIET, -01? SYRACUSE, NET? if roUL'rsY roe Yrs-er rinses.

trapping i th w rd permitting the hento ileave :tne nest'atte r she has 'laiditheeggand ident iiy'i'ngthe hen-a i' dolosing the nest: i

' f '--ven ti n :consists in the novel feat-ures and in .t he com'binations and constructions hereinaf er -set forth and c'la'irned.

r In describing this invention, :reterence "is had to the accompanyingdrawingsbinwhich like charaoters designate corresponding parts in al -l the views. I

1 is a longi'tndin'a l sectional "VIEW ot "the nest sihowing the =attached Ito the gate thereof. i i

Figure 12 i-sia front elevation of the nest, the is beingshown in its closed position.

-Fl'g ure 3 is a firagmen tary rear elevation of the gate showing the tag attached thereto.

1' 'd-esi znates the :nest which may z-be o'E --any suit-able form, size and construction, -it lheinghere shown as a box having its front end :openand providedwith a gateQ. v

ilhe gate is mountedito move vertically Etrom it-swepen :to :itsiclosed positionand'ito swing outwardly'wlien' in its lower or closed position to permit the hen'ito leavezthe-nest,

butri-s prevented troin inward movement to pr vent anotherhen from entering the same nest :until the gate 2 ?has heen reset in its open position. The .gate=2 sislhere shown \as provided with a flexible support, as a curtain or striplofaibric 3,iwhidh support is secured at 4 to the top of the box and at 5 to the upper end of the gate, the gate sliding vertically in front and rear guides 6, 7, the rear guides extending substantially the full depth of the box in order to prevent the inward swinging movement of the gate when in its lower position, as shown in Figure 2 and'the front guide 6 extending from the top of the box, but part way toward the bottom and ter-. ininating above theupper edge of the gate 2 when the gate is in its lowermost position, in order to permit outward swinging of the gate. The gate 2 is formed with a slot or passage 8 openingthrough its lower edge and extending upwardly toward the top cd e of the ate, but terminating short of 12 1e opper portion of this slot the to) ed 8 being preferably larger than the lower port on and also preferably circular in form.

9'desigznates the which is in the form or a split collar composed of opposing sec- L-lOIlS 10 connected together a t like ends to have a pivotal movement toward and from each other and having their other end-s separable, these 'sectionsheing spring-pressed tourd each other. i refera ljly, the sections 'i'O-a-reilat plates hinged "together at 11 and. connected by ZL'AJCQHSIOYI spring 12 and the saace enclosed by the collar is circular in form to conform to the upper circular portion of the slotS, the gate is provided pret- :cra'bly onthe inner side thereof with spaced apart shoulders 18 located adjacent the enlargeinent portion of the slot 8 and preferably directly above the slot 8, these shoulders engaging the ends of the sections T10 and 'holc'lingthein separated and against the tension of the spring 12. The ends of the sections 10 are preferably notched as at 1 to facilitate the trictional engagement there ot, with the shoulders The gate 2 is held in its elevated position or its position shown in FigureQ, by suitable meoh a iisni Whichis tripped by thetfowl when ethe nest and as here shown. this mechanism comprises a lever 15 pivoted between its ends at 16 to-the toporto the nest or braolret '18 dependinw trorn the top of the case, one

end oft-he lever engaging under shoulder other end :coacting with the trigger 2O piv-- oted at 21 to the top of the case and having .a'oatch '22 engagingthe opposite end of the lever 1'5". Y

in operati on. the hen enters the nest under the :2 and as she passes into the nest, en ages the trigger 2O releasing the lever 15 and permitting the gate 2 to fall by gravity into the position shown in Figure 2. I

After the hen has laid the egg, in order to get out of the nest she enters her head throughthe enlarged portion of the slot 8 and hence through the collar or between the separated arms 10 thereof and in walking out'oi the nest causes the gate to swing outwardly. As she progresses her neck engages the closed portion of the collar and pulls the sections out of engagement with the shoulders 13, these sections being held and .the spring 12 brings the sections toward each other, thus attaching the collar on the neck of the fowl. During further progress, the neck of the hen passes through a narrow portion oi the slot 8.

Means as shoulders 23 are provided for limiting the movement of the sections to ward each other by the spring 12 so that lmeans for preventing movement of the gate inwardly, the gate having an upright slot opening through its lower edgeand shoulders spaced apart adjacent the slot, of a tag in the form of a collar comprising opposing spring-pressed sections connected together at like ends to have a pivotal movement and their other ends arranged to be separated and toengage the spaced apart shoulders with the opening enclosed by the collar alined with the slot, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination with a trap nest hav ing a gate, means for closing the gate when the-3towl enters the nest, the gate being movable outwardly from closed position and means for preventing inward movement "thereof, the gate having an upright slot opening through its lower edge and spaced apart shoulders above the upper end of the slot, ot a tagin the form of a collar comprising opposite springpressed sections "connected at like ends to have a pivotal movement and: having their other ends arranged to engage the spaced apart shoulders, substantially: as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with a trap nest having a gate, means for closing the gate when r the fowl enters the nest, the gate being collar alined with the slot, and means for limiting the movement of the sections of the collar toward each other by the spring,

substantially as and for the purpose 7 set forth. r

4. A trap nest comprising a box having a vertically movable I gate, flexible means supporting the gate and permitting it to swing outwardly when inits lower or closed position, the box having guides for the gate arranged to prevent inward swinging of the gate, the gate having a passage for the head. and neck of the hen, and a tag detachably supported on the'gate andhaving an'ope'ning alined with the slot of the gate, substantially as andfor'the purpose described. r t

5. The combination with a trap-nest having an outwardly swinging gate, means for closing the gate when the fowl enters the nest, the gate being movable outwardly from closed position, and means for preventing movement of the gate inwardly from closed position, the gate having a slot opening through its free edge and shoulders spaced apart adjacent the slot, of a tag in the form of a split collar comprising opposing spring actuated sections, and having the arms thereof arranged to separate to, engage said spaced apart shoulders with-the opening enclosed by the collaralined with the slot and the portion :01": the split collar opposite the separated ends of the arms of said split collar extending across the slot.

In. testimony whereof, I have hereuntosigned my name, at. Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and State of New York, this 15th day of August, 1922.

MERTON MERRITT. 

